Bluegrass is sometimes somewhat self-referential. Which makes sense—it’s a very tightly knit community, where no picker near or far is more than three degrees of separation from any other, or from the legends who started the genre itself. This phenomenon has spawned a very specific type of bluegrass song: the elusive bluegrass song that’s primarily about bluegrass. Songs like Hammertowne’s “Hillbilly Heroes” and Charlie Sizemore’s “Alison’s Band” typify this type of song, which are usually dripping with syrupy bluegrass sincerity and reverie for the pickers’ chosen genre. They may be corny, but the respect that the performers have for their genre and its forebears rings true with every line. Enjoy this playlist of bluegrass songs about bluegrass!
